Petals of Force
by Rye Winston
Summary: When Sodapop finally decides that he is ready to move on, he sets his eyes on a middle class girl named Aurora. Will she accept his advances to a relationship and trust him? Will their relationship with hold the insults and doubt that everyone throws at them? Will he be able to deal with the pain this relationship will cause? Read and review please! SodapopxOC
1. Chapter 1

I remember the first time I laid my eyes on the hottest boy in Tulsa. He was gorgeous, kind, compassionate and his smile alone made girls swoon over him. My first day of grade nine, his locker was across the hall from mine. However he and his never took any notice to me. They were always fooling around, wrestling in the hallways, whooping as girls walked by, flirting with the girls like them. It used to make me sick to my stomach, how girls would flock to him whenever he was alone.

_There was never a moment when you could get Sodapop Curtis alone._

* * *

I walked into the DX gas station to pay for my gas, and pick up a few _feminine_ items. I looked around the gas station, wandering up and down the aisles. I was too embarrassed to ask anyone for assistance since it was only boys that worked here. I smiled when I finally found what I needed, picking a few packages up and walking towards the counter. I waited my turn before placing my things on the counter, smiling at the clerk before quickly grabbing a little flower I saw growing outside. I paid for my items and walked back out to my car. Grabbing my keys out of my purse, I saw when I saw two tall boys looking at my car. I walked around the back and placed my items in the back of the car, closing the trunk. I noticed both boys still looking at the car, and one grinned at me.

"Hey doll, is this beauty yours?" One asked, and I recognized him to be Steve Randle from school.

"She sure is," I said proudly, and he chuckled.

"Can you pop the hood so we can take a look?" He asked and I nodded, popping the hood for the two attractive boys.

"Damn, what I wouldn't give to get my hands on an engine like this," Steve muttered, looking around at different places under the hood. I just smiled, looking at my nail polish. I knew it was better than trying to embarrass myself with car talk. Steve closed the hood and winked at me.

"She looks great under the hood." He said, walking away. However his friend stayed behind. He smiled at me, and I instantly recognized that smile.

"Hey there…" He said, and I smiled nervously at him. I could feel myself start to feel dizzy, "I'm Sodapop."

"I-I know…" I stuttered, before looking at him wide eyed. I was embarrassing myself and I felt my cheeks get hot. _Oh no, can he see me blushing?_ I saw him smile crookedly, and I took a deep breath. _Why was I feeling this way? Is this what everyone talks about when they talk to someone so good looking as Sodapop Curtis? _

He chuckled and took a step closer, his arm resting on the top of the car beside me, "What's your name?"

"Aurora… But my friends call me Rory." He winked,

"Well, I'll see you around Aurora." And with those words, he walked into the shop.

I felt giddy the whole drive home*, and when I got there I walked in carrying the paper bag in one arm, the flower in my other hand. My mother smiled at me from her little office beside the kitchen,

"Aurora! What took you so long?" She asked, taking her glasses off. I smiled at her and walked into the office, handing her the African violet. She grinned,

"Why thank you Rora!" She said, taking the small plant. "Did you pick up the pads honey?" I nodded and motioned to the bag. The flower was put on her desk and she walked out from behind her desk. We both walked out of the small office and I walked up the stairs and I walked into my bathroom to put the pads away. I heard my brother mulling in his room and I walked by his room to see him sitting on his bed, throwing a football up so it hits the roof.

"Andrew what are you doing?" He shrugged and I rolled my eyes. I walked downstairs and sat at the table, pulling my homework out from my school bag. I had university level biology and chemistry, and I needed to make sure that I finished so I could begin studying for English. After what felt like almost two hours, and I started studying. I heard the front door open and I grinned when I saw my best friend Jackie walking towards me, her blonde hair hanging in loose curls and her usual long red skirt flowing around her.

"I heard that a certain someone got to speak with Mr. Sodapop Curtis alone today!" She gushed and I grinned, nodding. She pulled the chair out beside me and started pressing me for details. And, as any teenage girl would do, I spilled all the 'details' to her.

* * *

_(Sodapop PO V)_

I couldn't help the grin that had plastered itself all over my face. I stuffed my hands into my pockets and was barely in the door before I saw my best buddy looking over at me from the work order he was working on.

"Didya get her number?" Steve asked, and I shook my head.

"Naw," I said shrugging, "I barely got her name before she was blushing and stuttering all over the place." Steve chuckled,

"Sounds like every other girl that takes a lovin' to you eh?" I shrugged,

"Yeah, but I feel different around her Stevie. Like… How I did with Sandy." I said with a hint of dreaminess in my voice. I could hear Steve sigh and I shrugged it off. Sandy was six months ago, and I was ready to move on; to fall head over heels for another girl. I knew my brothers were worried about me suffering another heart break again but the way I see it; _if you fail, try until you succeed. _And that was exactly what I was going to do.

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**There it is! Leave a review and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!**

***The link to Aurora's house is in my bio!**


	2. Chapter 2

The next day at school, it seemed like every girl in Tulsa had heard that I had the chance to talk to Sodapop alone. However none of them knew I blew my chance and almost lost my cookies because of how nervous I was. I was at my locker switching my books before period one started, grabbing my biology and English and I closed it, locking my lock. Turning, I saw my two best friends walking down the hallways towards me; Jackie in a dark red short skirt and Deloris in a pair of parachute pants, with a matching ascot scarf.

"Hey Rory!" Jackie called, and I started walking so we were all in pace. "How was your night?" She asked, and I shrugged. After she went home all I did was homework then give myself a pedicure,

"It was alright, what did you do once you got home? Did your mom get mad that you were out late?" I asked, and she shook her head.

"No, I mean I was only at your house anyway. I told her if she didn't believe me to call your mom but I guess she didn't. She had already finished half a bottle of wine anyway." I nodded and Deloris rolled her eyes, pushing her glasses up on her nose.

"You know that alcoholism is in the blood right?" She said, and Jackie flipped her hair over her shoulder, mumbling _Yeah whatever,_ under her breath. I sighed, my two friends were always arguing. Jackie was loving and carefree, a fighter if need be, and well… Deloris was a priss. She _always_ had to do the right thing and give you her opinion, even if you didn't want it. Out of my two friends, my family was the only "normal" family.

I had a mother, father, brother and a sister. Elise was in university, and Andy was in his freshman year. Both of my parents had full time jobs that they loved and they only drank on special occasions. My dad was a lawyer and my mother owned a greenhouse; in which she spent most of her time. Flowers had been her passion ever since she was a little girl, and my family has grown accustom to having a garden outside our house and numerous trees and plants indoors as well. Even though my passion is flowers as well, I work in a small Italian restaurant called Rambo's.

Jackie has her mother, her step father, and she has an older step brother two years older than us named Sam. Her mom often would wind down after a long day with a bottle of wine and her step father often worked shift work, so he wasn't home very often. She didn't work but often spent her time shopping with money her mother gave her or would hang out with her step brother and his friends.

Deloris was an only child in a foster family. She had lived with them for seven years now, and they were a well to do family. They were very uptight and held their beliefs and values strong. Deloris wasn't allowed to hangout after school hours and on weekends, as they attended church often and she had to help clean. She wasn't allowed sex before marriage and wasn't allowed to show any skin on her legs. She often wore long skirts and tank tops that covered her whole shoulder. On certain days, she was allowed to wear pants and dress up a little.

"So, what are everyone's plans for tonight?" Jackie asked, wondering if she could hang out with us.

"I'm working tonight Jack." I said, "We're still going shopping tomorrow right?" I asked and she grinned, nodding; no doubt glad I remembered our plans.

Saying goodbye to my friends I split off when the final bell rang. I went to my biology class and sat in my usual seat, getting my books and pencil case out. All of my notes were color coded; I was sort of a neat freak. I waited for our teacher to come in, but once the national anthem was over it was clear that we were going to have a supply. A lady in her late sixties walked in and introduced herself before putting in a movie that explained (in further detail) about blood cells. I spent most of the period making study notes for our test later in the week.

* * *

By lunch I was hungry and I was starting to get a head ache. I found my usual table in the cafeteria with Jackie and Deloris, as well as a few other girls that included Cherry Valance. Fond wasn't a good word to describe how I felt about Cherry. I was one of the few that heard about how she treated Ponyboy Curtis, and I didn't like the fact that talking to him would '_Ruin her reputation.'_ So I often don't really speak with her unless necessary. I heard all about everything that happened at that time; the time of the fire. Including how Sandy left Sodapop because she cheated on him, and I personally thought that was bullshit. She wasted a great relationship for nothing. (In other words, I didn't like her either). I talked with Jackie mostly, about anything we could think off. Before I knew it, the bell rang signaling the five minutes we got between classes and we left to get our books.

After a hard seventy five minutes of chemistry, and then a free study period I was off to work. I waved at my boss when I got in and went to go change into my jeans and my red shirt. I grabbed my small apron and note pad, clocking in before starting my job; waiting on tables.

The restaurant I work at was a mix of every type of people; Greasers, socs, African Americans and Latino's. I did my best to treat each one with respect, as long as they respected me. There were a few occasions that the boss's son, Tim, had to throw a couple of boys out for being too rowdy. Since it was a Thursday, the shift was quiet. I knew it wouldn't pick up until around dinner time since we had some loyal families that came like clockwork. I was happy with my shift and the amount of tips I made until I saw a group of five boys walk in, Sodapop Curtis leading the way.

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**Much thanks to GreaserGirlie and Hloa for their reviews! They are much appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

I waited for the boys to be seated before walking over with five menus. Smiling at them I introduced myself as their waitress and was about to ask for drinks before I heard,

"Three Pepsi's and two Budweiser's. Please."

I nodded and scribbled it down, walking to the back to make the drinks. The whole time I was making the drinks I couldn't help but feel like I was being watched, yet I was too nervous to look. They gladly thanked me for their drinks and they all took a big gulp of their drink.

"Have you had a look at the menu? Can I get you guys any appetizers?" I asked, waiting to write their order. The eldest looking one looked over,

"What would you recommend?"

"Well, our garlic dip bread is often popular, as well as the pizza sticks." I said and he nodded. The youngest one mumbled something and the one with rusty side burns nodded; I think his name was Two-bit.

"We'll have the garlic dip bread." The eldest said. I nodded and walked back to the kitchen, putting their order in. Waiting on another group of boys I felt the eyes on me again.

"What would you recommend?" One of the soc boys asked me, and I smiled.

"Well personally I enjoy the deluxe pizza, but without the black olives." I said, flirting with him.

"If I order it can you eat it with me?" He asked, winking. I grinned and shrugged,

"That depends when you order it and when my break is." Winking at him and flipping my hair over my shoulder he grinned and confirmed he would have that. Walking back to the kitchen I looked over to notice Sodapop staring at me, and I knew that he had been the one watching me the whole time. I secretly hoped he hadn't heard me flirting with the soc, but part of me wondered why I even cared.

* * *

The food was finished and I walked over to the table with the five handsome greasers. Two ordered the pasta, and the rest of the boys wanted to split a pizza with chicken wings. They all grinned when they saw the pizza and eagerly dug in. The boys thanked me and I walked over to my other tables, collecting the money and smiling to myself when the soc boy left me a generous tip. I slipped that into my back pocket since we could keep our tips, and helped my boss clean the counter and do some dishes since we were short staff. Tonight we were closing at ten, and we usually had the last call for all orders around nine. I only had one table left, and it was the table with Sodapop Curtis. It felt as though he had been there for the whole day, but in actuality only a few hours.

The eldest one waved me over and I walked over,

"Ready to order some dessert now?" I asked and they nodded.

"Two chocolate sundaes, two strawberry, and one caramel." Making sundaes was a job that I got to do, and I enjoyed it. I made each sundae and placed them all on the tray, before grabbing the shredded chocolate, sprinkles, and sugar crystals, before placing it all on their table.

"Alright, just call me over when you're ready for the cheque alright?"

* * *

Doing the final round of cleaning and sanitizing the tables, I came across the table with the five boys. I saw the money and counted, realizing they left me a very generous tip. Then, before throwing the cheque away I noticed something scribbled on the back. I turned over to see,

_Rory, give me a call sometime- 555-1488._

I blushed and stuffed it in my pocket.

* * *

Steve and Two-bit kept bothering me on the way home about Aurora. I knew she was different and I thought she was something special.

"Buddy, I'm telling you that she's just not that into you! She was flirting up that soc and you saw it with your own eyes!" Steve tried and I shrugged, starting to get irritated.

"But she's a waitress and she works for tips." Pony stated quietly and I nodded, I hadn't thought of that.

"Man, how do you even know when a girl likes you?" I asked and the boys shrugged. I looked at Pony, knowing it was probably in a book he read.

"Well… I mean if they really like you they'd probably act different from the girls at the DX; more quiet and reserved. Probably shy too." He said, and I nodded. That was definitely Rory, cause when I saw her she'd blush like crazy… Stutter over her words and damn, did I want her.

Steve and Two-bit cut off to go home at the end of our street and we walked in silence halfway down the road.

"So, you really like her Pepsi?" Darry asked, and I knew that he was the most worried about me moving on and finding another girl. He didn't want me heartbroken again.

"I mean, I think so. I won't know for sure unless I get her on a date… And well… That might be harder than I thought." I said, and he nodded.

"Next time you see her; get her in a conversation okay? Ask her some quality things, like how her day was, tell her she looks really pretty today, things like that to help her feel confident. If you help her feel more confident then she'll like you more that you're friendly and nice to her." He said, and I grinned.

"I didn't know that you had any girl advice Dar!" He rolled his eyes,

"For your information I had a fair share of girls in my day." He stated and Ponyboy and I began laughing. Darry rolled his eyes grumbling and went into the house, going straight to his room.

"_In_ _his day_," Ponyboy said laughing, and I laughed harder. We sat on the couch in a fit of laughter, and it didn't stop until the phone rang.

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**So I mentioned in the last chapter that seven of them walked in, and I decided to stick with the book, so Johnny and Dallas are dead. (Which sucks because they're my favorite). Just as an FYI! **

**Thanks to GreaserGirlie and Sodapopcurtislover1460 for their reviews!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm sorry that it's so short! I just got home from a party and I wanted to update for you guys! There's a little bit more of SodaxRory in there for you, and hopefully Soda will make his move! Read and review please!**

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"Hello?" I said nervously into the phone. But all I heard was a soft breathing, and I bit my lip, wondering if this was Aurora. So, I took a chance, "Aurora? Rory… Is that you?" I asked hopefully. I almost bounced up and down in joy when I heard a feminine voice answer me,

"Hey Sodapop…" She said, and I grinned.

"I'm real relieved that you decided to call me… I didn't think you would." I admitted, and I heard a giggle. Her giggles made me grin, and I felt like my face could split.

"Well… I was real nervous about it too Pop." She said, and I bit my lip. Pop? The only one who called me Pop was…

"Evie?!" I exclaimed, and I heard loud laughter erupt from the other end of the line. I grit my teeth and hung the phone up, feeling like I could walk over to Steve's house right now and punch the living day lights out of him. Pony walked out of the kitchen and gave me a sad look, he knew that I was pissed and I felt humiliated.

"Soda… She'll call. If it's meant to be, it'll happen So. Maybe she's too shy to call your house… So you'll have to get her talking okay? Figure out if she really likes you." I nodded and sat on the couch. Pony gave me a hug and then headed to his room, and I stayed on the couch until I fell asleep.

I walked home and changed out of my work clothes, into my nice fleece pajamas. My mom was waiting for me in the living room, and grinned when she saw me.

"Rora! How was work love?" She asked, drawing her attention away from the television. I smiled and shrugged, grabbing my dinner out of the oven.

"It was alright mum. That cute boy, Sodapop, came in with his brothers today and stayed there all night... And he left me a ten dollar tip and he left his phone number on the back of the cheque…" Sitting beside her I could tell she was starting to grin.

"So, call him then Rory!" She exclaimed and I rolled my eyes.

"Mama, I don't even know if it's a fake number or not. I don't even think he likes me anyways." I mumbled, cutting my steak, and eating it.

"Well honey, you never know unless you give it a shot!" She said happily, and I sighed, sitting back.

"How do you know when a boy likes you mama?" I asked and she turned the TV off, turning to me. Often, I thought of my mom as my best friend, and I knew I could come to her with anything.

"Well, there are a few different ways, but none of them are a sure fire. If he talks to you again, see what he talks about. If it's something more personal then he trusts you to see how you would act. If he laughs at your jokes and if he… keeps strong eye contact with you when you're talking, I would say he likes you. But the only way to know for sure is to ask him." I nodded and finished my food before kissing my mom's head and going to bed.

The next morning I got up and got dressed for school, and I felt in a… "Pretty" mood so I decided to curl my hair and add a little extra make up than usual. I wore a shorter skirt than usual that was still a loose skirt and a dark red blouse. I kissed my dad's head and took a seat across from him, making myself a bowl of cereal.

"How was work last night?" My dad asked me, and I shrugged, taking a drink of orange juice, "Your mother told me that a boy gave you his number," He mentioned, looking up from some of his case files.

I nodded, "Yeah…"

"Is he anything important?" He asked, taking his glasses off. I smiled and laughed a little.

"I doubt it dad… I mean lots of girls swoon over him, so I doubt that he would choose me." I said, and he rolled his eyes.

"Aurora, any boy would be lucky to have you. You're exactly like your mother. Who is this boy anyways?" He asked,

"Sodapop Curtis." I said, and he smiled lightly.

"I worked on their case last year with them. They're very well-mannered and well brought up." I nodded and quickly cleaned up my dishes,

"Alright I gotta go dad! Love you!" I said, grabbing the keys to my mustang and quickly driving to school so I wasn't late. Once I got out of my car, I noticed a truck in the parking spot beside mine. I got out and straightened my skirt, tossing the curls over my shoulder, when I heard a deep voice,

"Hey Rory." I turned to see Sodapop sitting in the driver's seat, and I smiled.

"Hey Sodapop!" I exclaimed, walking over to the side of his car. He grinned and smiled,

"You look really beautiful today," He said and I blushed, feeling a bit more confident to talk today.

"Well thank you. You look nice today as well," I said, noting his white tee shirt and his light jeans. He smiled and shrugged,

"I'm off to the doctor today." He said, and I bit my lip.

"Is everything alright?" I asked, and he nodded.

"Yeah, it's just time for my yearly physical. That's all." He said nonchalantly, and I smiled.

"Well, I guess I shouldn't keep you waiting then. It was nice talking to you Sodapop, I'll see you later." With that, I turned and began the short walk to school, and climbed the stairs in the front of the school, feeling a little bit of a bounce in my step today. I had a feeling today was just going to be one of those days that nothing would ruin my great mood, and I really hoped it stayed that way.

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**I wanted to thank the following users for their reviews!**

**GreaserGirlie**

**Starrysky7**

**Jas (anon)**

**Thank you very much for your reviews; they are very much appreciated!**


	5. Chapter 5

When I got to my locker, I discovered that Jackie wasn't here today and I was slightly worried; she never missed school. I heard the announcements ringing over the PA system and music fluttering through the hallways as the hype for our junior semi-formal approached us. I hadn't made any plans to go because I didn't really want to go without a date. I grabbed my books and continued my normal, boring day and at lunch I decided to walk to the gas station with Deloris since it was only down the street. The whole way there I felt myself getting giddy and nervous, but I would never admit that to Deloris. When we got there however, it was crowded with girls from each side of the tracks. I decided on getting a Pepsi and a pack of gum while I was there, and when I went to pay I noticed it were Soda at the cash. However, he had a girl on each arm and didn't even notice me. Feeling like I could cry, I quickly grabbed my stuff and met Deloris outside, looking down and walking with her back to the school. Deloris is the type of friend that would say, _I told you so. _I worked through the rest of the day and got in my car quick after school, ignoring the teenage boy in the truck beside me before pulling out of the parking lot quickly, and instead of going home I decided to go to my mom's greenhouse to see if she needed any help.

"Hey honey!" She said, and I nodded. I just wanted her to hug me and tell me that it would be okay. So I shook my head and walked into her office, and she told her employee to watch the shop while she came back into the back with me.

"Aurora, honey what happened?" She asked, hugging me, and I felt myself break down slowly in her embrace.

I told her how we had a talk this morning and he said I looked pretty, and then how when I went to the gas station and he didn't even acknowledge that he knew me. She held me tight and kissed my head, rubbing my back.

"It's okay sweetheart… All boys at this age think with their penis's honey… It's okay. You deserve better than him anyways. You were way out of his league sweetheart." She said softly, assuring me that it was going to be okay. After I had finally calmed down, my mom had to get back to work; as her job wasn't easy to do. I stayed in the back and did my homework, and once my mom had closed the shop we headed home. She usually walked to work (she was very in tune with nature) and I drove us home.

* * *

"Greg, I thought I told you that we're going to Chuck's house tonight!" My mom said when she walked in and found my dad sitting on the couch napping. He jumped awake and wiped his eyes tiredly, mumbling and getting up. My mom rolled her eyes and told me to get ready to go to our family friends' house. I decided to pack an overnight bag just in case my friend Maya wanted me to stay the night. Since she went to the all girl's school I didn't see her as much. I waited for my brother to get ready before getting in the back of my parents car, pulling my book out of my overnight bag. The ride to Maya's house was about a twenty minute drive, as she lived on the east side. We pulled into her drive way and Maya's father was outside having a smoke when he saw us.

"Hey! Great to see you guys again!" He said, coming down the stairs and giving us all a hug. He and my dad went to high school together and stayed in touch through the beginning years of their bachelor lives, and lost touch once my dad had me. But then when I met Maya in elementary school they became best friends again.

After hugging Andrew and I, he sent us inside to go and get Maya and Cameron from their rooms. Maya's room was in the attic, since they only had a two bedroom house. However they converted the attic into a fully furnished and heated room with some of the money that Maya saved from working at Rambo's with me. She even got a sky light placed in the roof so she can watch the stars at night. I walked up the stairs that they kept down at all times and knocked on her door. She walked over and opened it, grinning when she saw me,

"Hey!" She said, giving me a tight hug. I grinned and hugged her back tightly, "Did you bring your overnight bag?" I nodded, grinning,

"Yeah! And I've got so much to tell you about!" I said; relieved that I could tell a friend about what had happened today. I wanted another girl's opinion on it, and not just my mothers. She pulled her bean bag chair out for me from her closet as she sat on her bed. At first we talked about school work and classes and what not, since she wanted to become a social worker and I wanted to become a florist, there was much to compare in our class choices.

When her mom called us down for dinner, we prayed and said thank you for dinner before going back up to her room since there wasn't enough room at the table for the eight of us. We went back into our seats and she smiled at me, and we began eating,

"So, what did you need to talk to me about?" She asked, and I smiled lightly.

"About a boy…" I said and she grinned. Although she didn't have much experience with boys she knew a lot from the books that she read, "Well… I thought this guy really liked me because he left me a really nice tip at work… and he left me his phone number. Then this morning he said that I looked really pretty and he told me that he had to go to the doctor to get a physical. Then at lunch when I went to the store he works at… He completely ignored me and had two greaser girls hanging onto his arms and he didn't even recognize me. I don't know what to think anymore… If he was just playing me or if he just wasn't into me in the first place." Maya sat quietly for a few minutes, thinking over what I had just said. I took this moment to notice the changes in Maya since I last saw her.

Her normally dark brown hair was lighter now, and with a tint of red in it like she had it died red at one point. Her blue eyes were still full of life and she had more piercings now, at least four in each ear. I noticed that my friend was changing, but at the same time I was happy that she was becoming more comfortable with herself and didn't mind experimenting a little.

"Well, I think that it's possible that he does indeed like you… But maybe he realized that he thinks you're way out of his league. That would explain why he had two greaser girls hanging onto him when you saw him. And maybe it's true he didn't recognize you, or maybe he did. You can't really know." She said and I nodded, sighing.

"Is it Sodapop Curtis?" She asked, and I bit my lip, nodding. "Yeah I thought so. They came over after school today to hang out with Cam for a bit… Soda was talking to him about a girl. Ever since his break up with Sandy he's been coming to Cam… Which doesn't really make sense because Cam has ever only had his one girlfriend; they're still together too."

"Well, maybe that's what he wants to know," I said, "Anyways, what happened with him and Sandy?"

"I heard she cheated on him… And I heard a few rumors that she was pregnant with another guy's kid but Soda neither confirmed nor denied it… So it could just be strictly a rumor."

I nodded and put my plate on her desk, leaning back in the bean bag chair. "Boys are frustrating," I said, and she burst out laughing.

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**Big thanks to Greasergirlie for her review! Send her some love and check out her stories! ~Thanks for reading guys!~**


	6. Chapter 6

When I woke up the next morning, Maya was still asleep. I sighed and moved back into the covers deciding to wait for her to wake up before going downstairs. I couldn't remember how long she usually slept for so I waited for her for about a half an hour. But when she hadn't woken up yet I decided to head downstairs anyways, since I was getting hungry; not to mention bored.

So, I tied my hair up and pulled on a pair of my pajama pants before heading down the stairs, smiling at her parents, "Good morning," I said and they smiled back.

"Good morning Aurora. There's breakfast in the kitchen, help yourself alright?" Her mother said and I nodded, before walking into the kitchen and helping myself to the eggs and toast. I sat in the kitchen and began eating, and I smiled when her brother walked into the kitchen, his hair a mess.

"Morning Rory, I'm having some guys over in a few minutes to hang out. You might want to get dressed," He said, motioning to my shirt that was partly see-through. Sticking my tongue out and rolling my eyes, I nodded none the less.

"Fine, fine. I'm just waiting for your sister to wake up and we'll probably head out and go shopping or something," I said and he nodded. We ate in silence for a little while before there was a knock on the door, and his mother answered it. Three boys walked in and greeted both of the parents before walking into the kitchen.

I almost passed out when I saw that Sodapop was one of those boys. He looked at me and I blushed, and I think he blushed as well. I looked down, licking my lips nervously. Cameron noticed the discomfort between the two of us and suggested the boys go to his room; most likely to gossip about girls and cars, I thought. Half an hour later Maya came down with severe bed head and she sat across from me sleepily and rested her head in her hands,

"How long have you been up?" She mumbled, wiping her eyes.

"About an hour," I said, taking care of my plate. She sighed and looked at me, and I knew she was exhausted. She often worked the late night shifts to make extra money for college.

"I heard a bunch of people come in. How come?" She asked and I shrugged,

"They were here for your brother. They're all hanging out." She looked at me questioningly and I knew she wanted to know exactly who came over, "Two-bit Mathews, Steve Randle and Sodapop Curtis." She went wide eyed and leaned closer to me over the table.

"He's _here?" _She asked and I nodded, and she grabbed my hand, practically yanking me up the stairs.

"Come on! Get dressed!" She hissed, and she shook her head when she realized I didn't bring any "nice" clothes. So she handed me a pale blue dress and a white belt to go with it. She smiled and braided my hair to the side, and we went back downstairs. Her parents had gone grocery shopping, which left us home alone with the boys. Her mom knew that Cameron wouldn't let us do anything stupid together, he was responsible like that. So, while we stood around in the kitchen waiting for the boys, we talked about random things. Finally, we heard footsteps leaving from Cameron's room and we looked over our shoulders to see Cameron standing there. Maya sighed and Cameron grinned,

"Hold up, I'll send him back out here okay?" He said and we both nodded, before Maya pulled him back, whispering,

"See if you can find out if Sodapop likes her, yeah?" She asked and her brother cocked an eyebrow, before nodding at the both of us and leaving. We sat at the table before we heard another pair of footsteps and I looked up to see Sodapop standing there.

"Well hey there Miss Rory," He said, and he smiled at Maya, "Good morning Miss Maya. Could you tell me where the brownies are? Cam sent me out here to get them." He said and Maya looked at me.

"Do you remember where my mom put them last night?" She said, motioning with her eyes to the cupboard, and I stood up, walking over to the cupboard. I took the tin of brownies out and handed it to him, and he grinned in thanks. Nervously, I decided to play a little bit,

"Save me one?" I asked quietly, biting my lip. He grinned and winked before walking out. Once he was in the room Maya started laughing.

"Girl! What was that?!" She said, and I shrugged,

"Might as well try right?" I asked and she nodded.

"Yeah, but I would say that he likes you. The whole time you were walking around he kept his eyes on you, and he blushed a little when you asked him to save you one. I guess we'll wait and see if he will, yeah?" She said and I nodded, knowing it was about lunch time.

"Let's go and order a pizza, yeah?" She nodded and went to grab some money. I shook my head,

"I'll pay half okay? I'll see if the boys want any," I said, walking towards Cameron's door, knocking before opening it. Grinning when I saw them playing a board game, I looked at them.

"Did you boys want a pizza? Maya and I are planning to order one." Sodapop looked at the guys and they nodded.

"Yeah sure. Just a meat pizza please, I'll grab my money." He said, standing up and following me to his coat. He pulled out a few bills and handed them to me, and I gasped slightly when I felt his hand touch mine. Sodapop bit his lip, looking at me. He started leaning closer, and I felt my breath speed up. _Is he going to kiss me? He's definitely going to kiss me. _I thought excitedly, even though I had no idea how to kiss someone.

He kept leaning closer until his lips met mine and I closed my eyes instantly, letting him kiss me.

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**Hey! Another update plus i'm on march break so I'll have another update soon! Please don't be afraid to leave a review! They fuel me! Thanks to everyone for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

I walked out to my wallet and got the money. I knew that I needed to make her mine soon, so I volunteered to pay for the pizza so that I would have another chance to get close to her. When I handed her my money, I felt my hand touch hers _accidentally._ Rory gasped quietly when we touched and I knew then that she liked me so I swallowed any nerves that I had in me (which weren't very many) and I kissed her. I chuckled very softly when I felt her start to pull away at the foreign feel of a kiss, but I rested my hands on her hips softly so she would stay in place.

She pulled away blushing at looked at me with wide eyed, her lips now full and pouty. She reached to wipe the lip gloss that had been smudged from her lips onto mine, when I caught her hand and held it in mine.

"Sodapop…" She whispered quietly, and I smiled, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"Yes Rory?" I said, tracing her lips with my thumb. However instead of talking, her big brown eyes staring into mine. In this moment, I realized how a like, yet how different she was from Sandy. They both had the same shape to their eyes, both shared the same height, and they both said my name in similar fashions. Anytime Sandy said my name it always rolled off her tongue lazily; and at first it was the same with Rory. Yet Sandy seemed to be much more opinionated and wanted her way. Rory didn't seem like that type of girl. To me, Aurora seemed like the type of girl that would be happy with effort and creative ideas. Sandy and Aurora's personalities were almost the same, but there were a few differences I could already pick out.

Sandy was soft, quiet, and compassionate. She was nice to others, sure, but not unless you knew her. She was independent but at the same time she was very dependant. With Sandy, there always had to be something planned- nothing ever spontaneous (this included sex). She liked to dress up and didn't like to be seen in her comfy clothes. But when she dressed up, she was breath taking. Her eyes were round and doe like, but it was beautiful on her. Her blue eyes were crystal clear; like the ocean. However she always left it down, and didn't like to do anything different with it.

Rory was generous, quiet, and seemingly eager. Rory always wore a genuine smile on her face, and it showed through pronounced smile lines in her face. I could already tell that Rory was free spirited, and from the little things I've heard about her from some of my friends she's independent in general. I could tell that Rory was the type of girl that didn't care what people saw her in; yet she always looked presentable. She had a dark, almost chestnut brown shade to her hair, like the type you would see on a horse. Her brown eyes were round like a doe as well, but had a little more of a point near the end- making them look sort of like almonds. Everytime I had seen Rory so far her hair had been done differently; each style complimenting her face shape.

"I… Do… Do you like me?" Rory asked quietly, looking into my eyes nervously. Chuckling, I shrugged.

"Well darling, I don't go around kissing anyone." I said softly in a light southern drawl that I had picked up from working in the rodeo. She blushed and I grinned in victory when she started to smile.

"So that's a yes?" She said and I nodded, running my thumb over her lips.

"Yes. I like you Rora… And I have since I laid my eyes on you." I said softly, making her blush. We stayed quiet for a few more moments, neither of us sure what to say to each other. With Sandy everything came easily, but I could tell with Rory it wouldn't. I couldn't lie to myself; I was getting nervous about rushing into another relationship.

"Hey, I'm going to order the pizza now!" Maya called from in the living room, and Rora pulled away. She looked at me before walking into the living room and nodding at Maya.

"Alright, the boys want all meat on theirs and I'll get the regular." I walked over into the living room and sat beside her on the couch. Maya must have felt that I had wanted to talk to her friend and she walked towards her brother's room.

"Look… I uh… I was in a relationship not too long ago… And it ended badly. She ran without a warning and hasn't looked back. And frankly I'm nervous about getting into another relationship because I don't know if I can withstand another break up." I confessed, and she nodded.

"That's alright Soda, I get it. I've never been in a relationship… But I understand if you want to take it slow." Rory said softly, reaching over to hold the hand that was resting on my knee. Smiling over at her, I kissed her head.

"Thank you Aurora."

"But I have a question for you though, Sodapop." She said softly, and I nodded, "Where do you see us going?" Taking a deep breath I stared out Maya's front window for a few moments.

"Well, I definitely see us being together. Like a couple," I said and I saw her nod along with me. "But I don't know more than that… I'm sorry. We need to learn if we work together..." Aurora nodded,

"Alright, I see your point." She agreed.

"Look… We'll start with a few dates and see how it goes okay? I have a strong feeling that we can work together. I mean we both like each other you know?" I said and she nodded smiling.

"Okay," She said nodding, "I like that idea." She said and I smiled, leaning over to kiss the side of her mouth. I was going to take my time with this relationship, and make sure that this one worked.

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**Big thanks to greasergirlie for her review!**


	8. Chapter 8

I left earlier that day, and I decided to walk home since the weather had taken a turn. It was a fairly nice day outside so instead of calling for a ride, I thought it be best to walk some. Since I lived between the tracks, no one bothered me much. I was in a great mood; Sodapop Curtis liked me back. Maya said we were basically a couple, as we had kissed and admitted our feelings.

The thought of being Sodapop's girlfriend made me giddy. I agreed with him when he said that we should take it slow and make sure that we can work with each other because I didn't want to end up heartbroken after a painful and stupid relationship.

Having my first kiss left a permanent smile planted on my face, and I was excited that my first everything was going to be with Sodapop. He seemed like an amazing guy, and it didn't matter that he was a greaser and she had more money than him. Maya told me that if things worked out we'd be living in a house no better than hers as Sodapop didn't attend school. I didn't care about that either. Love is love, and no matter who it's with, love is love.

My mom's shop was on the way to the house so I decided to stop in and see her since on the weekends she worked alone. My mom often gave time up with our family for her shop, but we knew that this shop brought my mom peace and that's all we wanted. She was always in tune with nature and hated any type of violence, and especially when my brother and I fought she would be upset. My mother had always been a kind woman, and when she was younger her father had been abusive. He would often punish her if she hadn't brought home the proper grades or if she was wearing the proper clothes.

"Rora? Honey is that you?" She called, and I nodded, placing my bag into her office before I found her on the floor, her hair braided messily and dirt on her jeans and apron as she replanted a Hibiscus tree.

"Hey Mom, how is your day so far?" I asked, kneeling next to her. She smiled and let me help her; it was her dream that one day I take over the shop.

"It's going well honey. It's been slow today but I have lots of replanting to do as the shipment has finally come in. How about you? How was your night?" She asked, before looking up at me and a small smile played on her lips, "Well, I would say that someone had a great night by that smile on her lips! I remember when your sister wore that smile for the first time…" My mom said excitedly,

"Yes mama… I had my first kiss today!" I said excitedly and she squealed, jumping up and hugging me tightly.

"Oh my baby! Congratulations!" She said, and I grinned.

"Thanks Mom…" I said, and she pulled away smiling,

"So… Was it just _one_ kiss?" She asked, raising one of her eyebrows.

"Well… No… It was more like two or three…" I admitted sheepishly and she laughed.

"So? Then are you two dating?" Mom kneeled back on the ground and continued to pat the soil down around the base of the small tree.

"No, not yet… He said he was in a relationship and it ended badly, so he wants to take things slow again. He wants to make sure that we work together, you know? I mean, it makes sense to me Mom." She nodded,

"Yes, I agree love. It's always better to start out as friends first and see if you can get along, rather than rush into a relationship not knowing who the other person actually is." She said, before wiping her hands off with a rag, "Oh and Jackie called you last night. She wants you to call her when you can okay?"

"Alright. Do you need any help with planting?"

"Yes, actually I do. Would you mind replanting the flowers in the front of the shop please?" I nodded and tied my hair back, thankful I changed out of Maya's dress before I left and into jeans and a long sleeve. I started to carefully replant the flowers that were in the front of the shop when I heard the bell ring, and I looked over to see a young looking boy, a really rough looking guy, and they were accompanied by the guy of my dreams. He grinned when he saw me,

"Well… Isn't this a surprise? I had no idea you worked here." Sodapop said, grinning and raising his eyebrow. And I felt dizzy.

"Yeah? Well… It's my mom's shop and she wants me to work here eventually. I love plants and nature as much as she does so she wants to start training me now so by the time she retires, I can take over." I explained and Sodapop nodded. "What can I help you boys with?"

"Well, we were looking for some flowers… You know. To keep around the house to spruce it up a little…" Sodapop said, and I nodded, leading him over to various single flowers and bamboos. I explained all of them to Sodapop and his brother Ponyboy before walking over to the previous job I was doing when the rough looking boy looked at me.

"You know that he only came here to see you," He said smirking, and I looked up at him before wiping my hands on my jeans and reaching to shake his hand,

"I'm Aurora…" He reached to shake my hand.

"Tim Shepard." He said, and I nodded.

"Nice to meet you." I said, and he leaned down, saying quietly into my ear,

"If you break this boys heart, I've got a long list of boys that will make your life a living hell, _soc." _ I swallowed hard and took a deep breath to keep my nerves in check.

"What makes you think that I'm going to break his heart?" I asked quietly, and Tim Shepard just chuckled.

"Girl's break hearts. It's a game to them." He said before standing up straight when Sodapop walked over, holding two orchids; the flowers I suggested. I smiled and stood up, walking over to the cash register. Ringing the two flowers up, my mom heard the bell from the cash register and walked out, grinning when she saw Sodapop and Ponyboy,

"Oh hello boys! Rory, cancel that order." She said smiling, before the boys smiled at her.

"Ma'am you don't have to do that," Sodapop said politely, and my mom just shook her head,

"Nonsense. Your mother did so much work for me; I could never charge you boys for anything." She said softly, putting her hand on the boy's shoulders. They smiled sadly, and Ponyboy whispered,

"Thank you ma'am." She smiled, before she noticed the look Sodapop was giving me, while biting his lip softly. My mom grinned and put her hands on her hips.

"_You _are the boy that's got my Rora all giddy!" She exclaimed in her motherly tone, and Soda blushed but chuckled and nodded,

"Yes ma'am, that's me." My mom grinned and hugged him tightly, and he hugged her back, winking at me. She smiled,

"You know, I would love if you could come over for dinner tomorrow night!" My mom said, and Sodapop grinned, raising his eyebrows,

"Well, yeah sure that would be great!" He said, and I smiled, before walking outside with Sodapop.

"Hey Pone, go ahead with Shepard I'll catch up in a second." He said, and they nodded, walking ahead.

"So, what should I expect tomorrow?" He asked, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Well… Just be yourself." I said and he nodded before catching my lips in a quick kiss. I grinned and kissed him back softly.

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**Big thanks to: **

**Greasergirlie**

**Meekasa**

for their reviews on the previous chapter!

And thanks to Greasergirlie for helping me sort out the "big" problem!


	9. Chapter 9

The next night I dressed nervously in one of Darry's clean white shirts and one of my own newer flannel shirts that I had gotten for my birthday. This one was a dark blue color that Darry got me, remembering that it was Mom's favorite color on me. I combed my hair, but I did so in a way that I didn't need to use any grease. I knew that they were only middle class but I didn't know how her father would react to wearing grease in my hair.

I checked my hair again in the mirror before finally deciding that it looked fine; that I looked acceptable. With Sandy none of this mattered because her father was once a greaser yet he hated me. Part of me hoped to God that Aurora's family liked me, and part of me knew that if they were anything like Rora then they would judge me based on my character rather than the amount of money my family had in our account.

"Bye Dar! I'll see you after!" I said, grabbing the truck keys. Since Darry was in the shower Pony nodded at me, not looking up from his book. Since Johnny and Dally died, he's done nothing since read and write. I left and drove to her house, driving up her street slowly, looking for the different numbers that sat on the mailboxes. Pulling into her driveway I noticed that her house was all white, a bright white too as if it had been cleaned recently, and a garden that was so colorful it took me a few different looks to figure out how many different colors there were as they blended into one another. Her house looked beautiful, and I smiled when I saw the porch swing on her small porch and I got out, wiping my hands on my pants nervously when I saw Rory's mother sitting on the porch swing. Beside her, I assumed Rory's father had his arm around her shoulders and they looked to just be watching the park across their street.

Her mother smiled warmly at me and waved at me and I walked over slowly, standing tall. Her father stood up before her mother and he sized me up as I walked up the stairs. Smiling at him nervously I put out my hand to shake his, shaking it firmly once he returned the favor.

"It's good to see you again Sodapop." He said, and I grinned relieved when I realized that he remembered me from Ponyboy's case only a short time ago.

"You too Mr. Carter. Is Rory home?" I asked and he nodded,

"Yes, I believe she is in the study or in the sunroom at the back of the house. She seems to be coming down with something and I suggested she stay inside. Please, head in and make yourself at home," He said before sitting back down with her mother. Walking into her house I was amazed at how big it seemed on the inside. It sure as hell didn't look this big from the outside. So I took my shoes off and placed them neatly at the front, before walking through her house to see if I could find Rora. I didn't see her in the office so I decided to check the sunroom at the back of the house and smiled when I saw her curled up on the couch with a small novel in her hand.

"Hello beautiful," I said and her head turned to look over at me and she grinned when she saw me.

"Hey Sodapop!" She said, moving her legs off of the couch and tucking her blanket into one of the drawers. Once she patted the seat next to me I sat beside her and kissed her head,

"How is your day so far beautiful?" She pulled her legs up so she was cross legged and facing me, her back resting on the arm of the chair. Rora shrugged and smiled lightly,

"It's been alright. I think I'm getting sick again though," She said, and almost to prove her point she sniffled. I could tell she was cold, she was squeezing her hands together and it looked like she was shivering lightly. I nodded and she smiled,

"I hope you like roast beef and potatoes, and I think my mom also is making asparagus." I only replied with,

"I like anything edible." She laughed and I loved the way her eyes crinkled at the sides. We talked about little things for the time being until her mother called us into the kitchen for supper. We sat at her small table, and they let me take the spot beside Aurora, across from her brother.

They extended their hands and we all joined hands and started to say grace, something that my family used to do every night; back then we attended church every Sunday as well. Once dinner had been dished out, we ate in silence and made small talk with each other. It wasn't until my second round of roast beef and potatoes that the questions started,

"So Sodapop how is the DX?" Her father asked. At first the question seemed like any normal question (since I have fixed his car numerous times), but then I started to wonder if this question had a separate meaning behind it now that I was going to be dating his daughter.

"Well sir, it's going pretty good. The boss actually gave me a raise not too long ago, so it helps out with the bills more. And it lets Darry take some time off so he doesn't have to earn as much." I said, after swallowing a rather large mouthful of potatoes.

"That's wonderful! Did you get a promotion?" Her mother asked and I nodded,

"Yes, I was promoted to manager, since I work full time anyway."

"Well congratulations," Her father said, taking a sip of his coffee. We chatted a little more about my job before realizing I was finished so I grabbed my plate, Rory's, her mothers and her fathers before standing up and taking them to the kitchen. My mother always said to be polite and help out, and I planned to keep my good impressions on them.

"Oh Sodapop you don't have to do that!" Her mother said, and I shook my head.

"Nonsense, you cooked the meal, I'll do the dishes." I said and she smiled, before sitting back down. Rory grabbed the rest of the dishes and walked into the kitchen,

"Do you want to wash and I'll try dishes since I know where they go?" She said and I agreed, starting the water and adding a little soap to the water and started to wash the dishes. Once I had finished rinsing it off she would take it and dry it, putting it away. Once she came close enough I whispered.

"Do they like me?" She grinned and nodded before kissing my cheek. Feeling slightly relieved I followed her out once we were done the dishes. Her father nodded at me and I nodded in return before he stood up,

"The mustang has been acting up again Sodapop, would you mind taking a look?" I shook my head,

"Not at all sir." I said before I followed him out to the detached garage. The door was already unlocked so we went in and the Mustang's hood was up.

"What's been the problem sir?" I asked curiously, walking over to take a look.

"Honestly, there is nothing wrong with it. But I needed a reason to come out here and have a few words with you." Swallowing nervously I nodded, and he grabbed a coke from the fridge, tossing me one.

"I know that you're interested in dating my daughter, and to be frank I'm glad that it's you she brought home and not some irresponsible moron. But, I want to know where you see yourself going with my daughter; if you see this as a long term or a short term relationship."

"Sir, I don't know at the moment. I suggested that she and I take it slow, so that we know that we can work together as a couple. I was in a serious relationship not too long ago and I think I rushed into it and it ended badly. I don't regret that relationship but I want my relationship with Aurora to last so that I can spend the rest of my life with her, as long as she'll have me." Her dad smiled and I grinned. He clapped my shoulder and grinned,

"Well then Sodapop, I'll be glad to see you around our house more often. But I ask you take it slow with Aurora and respect her. I don't want to hear about you pressuring her into having intercourse with you, alright?"

"Of course sir. Thanks."

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**Thanks to Greasegirlie for her review!**


	10. Chapter 10

Coughing was what woke me early the next morning. I felt a wheezing sensation in my chest and couldn't stop coughing, feeling like I couldn't get the phlegm out of my chest. Luckily there was a glass of water on my side table from last night and I eagerly reached for it, gulping it desperately so it could help the raw feeling in my throat.

"Aurora are you alright?" My mom asked when she stepped into my room, looking at me worriedly. I nodded and reached for a tissue to blow my nose, tossing it in the over flowing garbage can, however she didn't believe me, "I'm going to get your father to bring you to the walk in clinic after school okay? This is the second time this month you've been sick." She said, reaching to feel my forehead. I knew I felt fine, I always got sick. No matter what type of bug was going around I always caught it.

"It's probably a lack of vitamins," I told her, tossing the blankets back from my bed, walking into the bathroom down the hall from my room, turning the shower on so it was getting hot. A nice hot shower would make me feel better, I just knew it.

After five minutes in the shower I got out and decided to braid my hair today, applying little make up since I was behind my regular schedule. I blushed when I saw the tiny yet pronounced hickey on my neck from last night while Soda and I were sitting in the sunroom after dinner watching the sunset and the toddlers next door play with their parents.

* * *

"_Soda," I breathed as he sucked hard on my neck, and he came up, his lips pouted from the amount of kissing we had done. I would say (if we were using baseball terms) that we had gotten to at least second base, but Sodapop made it feel right. "What are my parents going to say about this? Or how about the girls at school?" I asked worriedly, the last thing I wanted was to be on anyone's hit list. _

"_I don't care," He said, winking, before shifting so he was sitting beside me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "Rora?" He asked after we had been quiet for some time, "Will you be my girl?"_

* * *

I bet he could feel my grin growing on him, and of course I agreed to be his girl. Until that moment I hadn't felt so giddy in my life. Yes it was simple the way he asked me, but then again I didn't want anything spectacular. I applied a generous amount of cover up that mostly covered it, but if you looked hard enough you could still make it out. With my towel wrapped around me tightly, I walked into my room and decided on a loose fitting dark green skirt, with a white blouse over top. My bag was already downstairs with a paper bag that contained my lunch and I knew that my mom would be on her way to work by now. Dad didn't start work until about nine, so he was usually home until after breakfast, and most mornings Andy and I were lucky to have a nice full breakfast, with eggs and toast, and sometimes home fries. Today there was French toast sitting on the table, coated in syrup and I felt my mouth water,

"Morning daddy," Taking a seat at the table I poured myself a glass of juice before digging into my French toast.

"Morning Rora. I heard you coughing this morning, your mother wants me to take you to the doctor today after school," He said and I nodded,

"Yeah, but it's probably a lack of vitamins or something Dad. Nothing to worry about," He nodded and we ate, and he started to tell me about his most recent case: a nasty divorce and custody battle, and he were on the father's side.

"It pains me to have to do this Rory, because I see both sides so clearly. They have three children together, and they remind me so much of yourself, your brother and your sister in your younger years. I know that if I lose this case, this man won't ever be able to see his children again, and that's the biggest wager I've gotten." I nodded and sighed, knowing my dad was going to put his all into this case, but I also knew it was a tough one as well, since if he won the case, the children's mother wouldn't see them often either.

He drove me to school and told me that he would pick me up after school to go and see the doctor. My usual spot to meet up with my friends was where I was headed first, before going to my locker after with Jackie, hopefully to talk to her in private about what had happened recently. The girls greeted me warmly, and I took a seat beside them in the cafeteria.

"Hey Rora," Jackie greeted when I took my seat beside her, and I smiled, returning the same greeting. The girls mostly talked about clothes since half of us liked to talk about boys and the other half didn't have any boys to talk about, we usually kept it on a universal topic between our group of seven or eight girls.

"So, I heard that a certain someone was taken off the market," My friend Elsa mentioned, and I tried not to blush, wondering if she was talking about anyone else besides Sodapop. My Sodapop.

"Oh yeah?" Doreen asked, "Who might that be?" I felt eyes on me, but only briefly, and I realized then that the only girls that knew about me and Sodapop was Jackie and Maya, and Maya didn't come to our school.

"Well, I heard from Evie that Sodapop has got a girlfriend now. I mean, she would know if anyone should since she's dating Steve." Alicia pointed out and I tried my best to act normal, but I wasn't sure how to react. Luckily, Jackie had my back,

"Well it was only a matter of time before someone snatched him up." She said, hinting towards dropping the subject. I thought they would, but Elsa wouldn't have it.

"Yeah that's true, but whoever did must be a greaser or something. I mean I heard he stepped it down since Sandy. He must have, because she was out of his league."

"The only girl that is out of his league is a girl that thinks she's too good for him." I said abruptly, standing up and picking up my backpack. My friends were unknowingly (or at least I thought) insulting me, and I wasn't going to have it. My relationship wasn't any of their business and I had a feeling some of them would just be jealous of me.

Jackie, like the best friend she was, followed me and walked with me to my locker. She leaned against the wall while I unlocked my locker and angrily unzipped my bag, until I saw the small rope bracelet sitting on my wrist. Sodapop had given it to me as an actual symbol of being his girl since he didn't have any rings. Letting out a small sigh, I re-arranged my books so they were sitting in my locker neatly and Jackie smiled,

"So I guess my best friend isn't single anymore?" I grinned and shook my head, and Jackie grinned,

"I _knew _it! I could tell by the hickey on your neck! Oh my god!" She exclaimed happily, before hugging me and laughing. She pulled back and wiped an imaginary tear,

"I never lost hope," Jackie said dramatically and I rolled my eyes but couldn't help to crack a grin. Jackie was just one of those types of people.

"You're such a dork!" I said laughing, and she batted her eyebrows together jokingly. "So, I was planning to head over to the DX today on lunch and see Sodapop… Maybe you want to come?" I asked and she nodded almost instantly, she liked the eye candy that was always in constant supply.

* * *

At lunch we walked over to the DX, and I grinned when I saw Sodapop in the garage, and the employee at the counter let me back to see him. I think his name may have been Mike, or maybe Matt.

"Hey beautiful," He said once he saw me, walking over and catching my lips in a kiss, being careful of my white blouse and his dirt, oil, and grease filled shirt. Letting my hands rest on his biceps I pulled away quickly, forgetting I was sick.

"Oh no… Sodapop I'm sick…" I said, and he shrugged,

"A little bug never killed me, doll face." He said before winking.


	11. Chapter 11

"Alright Aurora, can you open your mouth for me, and say 'ah'?" I nodded and did as he asked, before he started to feel around my lymph nodes. "Now you said you have lots of phlegm? When you wake up in the morning does your chest hurt?"

I nodded, "Yeah, and I feel really wheezy in the morning as well."

"Alright, I'm going to prescribe you antibiotics for a chest infection and an inhaler to help with the wheezing. Take it in the morning every day until your better, and if you're feeling particularly ill at night you can take it before you go to bed. Take your pills every day at the same time until they're finished." I nodded and took the prescription from him.

"Thanks Doctor Reynolds." I said, standing up and reaching for my coat.

"Aurora, the next time you get sick I want you to come in sooner so it doesn't get to this point, okay?" I nodded again,

"Okay. Thanks again Doctor. I'll make sure to take the pills."

"Actually Aurora, I want to take some blood if you don't mind. Just to check your white blood cell count. I'll send the nurse in, alright?" He said, getting up and walking out. Taking a seat in his chair I waited for the nurse to come in and take some of my blood. Needles never bothered me much, and I only watched as she drew the blood. She put a cotton ball on the needle mark and put a bandage on top of it and let me go. My dad left half way through the appointment to go and meet with his client, he told me something had changed since the last time they had spoken. Since I was on the far East side, I didn't want to walk home, so I walked to a pay phone before grabbing the phone book and flipping through until I found _Curtis, Darrel, _and the phone number attached to it. I dialed it quickly, hoping that Sodapop was home by now.

"Hello?" I heard a quiet voice ask, and I bit my lip,

"Ponyboy? It's Aurora, is Sodapop home?" I asked, before taking the phone away from my mouth as I coughed heavily.

"Yeah, hang on," Ponyboy said once I had stopped coughing and he handed the phone off,

"Rora? Are you alright?" I heard Sodapop's voice ask worriedly.

"Yeah," I wheezed, "I'm at the doctor and my dad had to leave… Would you be able to come and pick me up?"

"Yeah sure babe. Where are you? Which doctor?"

"I'm at East Independent and North Lewis Avenue alright?"

"Okay, see you soon." He said before hanging up. It took him almost ten minutes to get to where I was and I grinned thankfully when I saw his truck pull up.

"Hey Soda," I said, climbing in and buckling up.

"Hey Rora, how was the appointment?" He asked, reaching to kiss my cheek before putting the truck in drive and starting to drive down the road.

"It was alright," I said, raising the paper with my prescription on it, and he nodded, "I have a chest infection so I'm getting pills and an inhaler to help with my breathing at night until I'm better."

"So how long until you're better?" He asked and I shrugged,

"Hopefully a few weeks at most, otherwise I'll have to keep taking time off work because I'm sick and I can't get everyone at work sick." Soda nodded thoughtfully before stopping at another red light. It seemed as though we hit every one on the way back.

"Hey, did you want to come over for dinner?" He asked, turning to look at me. "Since you know… You're my girlfriend now… I want to introduce you to my family." I coughed and opened the window to spit out the phlegm before nodding.

"Sure, I would have to call my mom first but I don't see why she would mind."

"Why don't we just stop by her shop and ask her? Is she still there?" I nodded and he made a left instead of going straight.

* * *

My mother agreed and I walked in behind Sodapop nervously, seeing two boys sitting in the living room watching the television.

"Hey Pepsi we were waiting for you to have dinner." The eldest brother said, and I knew that must have been his brother Darry. We met once obviously when they came to eat at Rambo's but we haven't formally met and I was nervous. Sodapop already filled me in that his family was weary about him moving on because they didn't want him to get hurt again.

"Hey Dar, this is Rora… My girlfriend. Ponyboy, you know Rory from school right?" Ponyboy nodded and smiled warmly at me.

"Hey Rory. How are you feeling?" He asked, and I smiled, pleased and surprised that he would remember that I was sick. I think I told him today at lunch.

"I'm alright. I got antibiotics today at the doctor so hopefully I'll be better soon." He smiled and nodded before taking my jacket and purse, hanging them up and he walked into the kitchen. Darry reached to shake my hand and I shook his hand,

"I'm Darry, Sodapop's oldest brother," I nodded and he smiled, "It's nice to finally meet you Aurora. We've heard a lot about you from Sodapop and we're happy that you're able to make him happy." I grinned, happy that he accepted me. Soda grinned and walked into the kitchen, figuring Darry and I wouldn't have any problems.

"Look Rory… You make him happy. I want him to be this happy for the next fifty years of his life. This is how he should be; this is his character, a happy and charismatic person. When Sandy broke up with him… He took it really hard," He said softly, "And I can't ask you not to break his heart, but I ask that if you do, you do it gently and kindly so it won't crush him as much as it did with Sandy. I don't doubt that no matter what you do, you will hurt him more because he likes you more than he ever liked Sandy."

I nodded, slightly touched by his words, "This is my first relationship Darry… I want it to go like Sodapop wants it… But I don't know what to expect. I mean Sodapop makes me feel different and from what I gather that's a good thing." He smiled and nodded before leading me to the kitchen,

"I hope you like tacos, because it was Pony's night to cook and he thought tacos would be a good idea."


	12. Chapter 12

I grinned when I saw that Rora fit in so well with my brothers. A few times she had to excuse herself to blow her nose in the washroom and everytime she left they would give me a brief update on how they like her. Each update was positive, that she was nice and she was friendly. I already knew that Ponyboy would like her, they talked at school sometimes and they had some books they liked, so they had some things in common. However on the other hand he didn't know how Darry liked her, since he was the wariest about me dating again. I hoped they didn't see the similarities between Rora and Sandy, because that wasn't the reason I was dating Rora.

But everytime it seemed he was about to tell me his opinion Aurora came back into the room and apologized for taking so long. However, I would always grin like she was the only thing in the world and I think Ponyboy could tell that to me, Aurora lit the room. He was happy to see that I was happy and had the laughter back in my eyes.

"So Aurora, what are you planning to do post-secondary?" Darry asked, and Aurora smiled, wiping her mouth after finishing her bite of taco.

"Well, I am going to study Botany, and once I've gotten my degree I'll take over my mother's shop so she can retire early. She wants to travel around Africa with my father once they're both retired, but I think that it will take a while before my dad finally decides to retire." She said, and Darry nodded.

"Do you want to travel anywhere?" Pony asked and Rory nodded,

"Yeah, I was hoping to travel around Europe one day. Like Scotland, Ireland, England, all of those places you know?" She said smiling at I nodded along with her. That sounded like a lot of fun, and I wanted to travel with her. I liked that idea for our honeymoon. Wait, I smiled to myself, I liked that idea. I liked the idea of marrying Rora. I already loved her, even though we haven't been dating long.

Darry nodded, and smiled, "I took you as more of a tropical girl." Rory laughed, and when she laughed her looked gorgeous. Her eyes crinkled and it made her look like her eyes had little whiskers on the sides.

"Most people think that too since there are more colorful and nicer flowers in the tropical destinations, but for some reason Europe has just attracted me the most, ever since I was a little girl."

Dinner was a success and she even had some chocolate cake after dinner, and I could tell my brothers were impressed with Rora's appetite. She ate like us guys, but with more manners of course, and the absence of burps and farts. After dinner we sat and watched TV as Darry read the newspaper in the kitchen before calling it a night around nine o'clock and Pony stayed in his room the whole night after dinner since he had a project due and Darry kept nagging him about it.

It gave me and Rora some alone time and we obviously did some kissing, and I tried to touch her. Nothing major, just by resting my hand on her leg. I wasn't sure how she would react, and I didn't know how I _wanted_ her to react. Sandy would have pushed for more, but I wasn't sure if I wanted Rora to act like that. However she jumped slightly and pulled away blushing,

"Sodapop…" She said lightly, her lips full and swollen from my kissing her.

"It's alright," I breathed, "I'm sorry sweetheart… I didn't mean to push." She nodded and seemed content with my answer, resting her head on my chest and closing her eyes, "Tired love?" I asked, rubbing my hand up and down her arm. I felt her nod and I let her rest against me for a few minutes before noticing the time.

"Come on love bug, we've got to head to your house. It's almost ten thirty; I don't want your father to hate me for bringing you home late." I said, helping her up. We walked out to my truck and she steadied herself against it for a few seconds before climbing in.

"You alright?" I asked, noticing her heavy breathing and tight grip on the door handle. She nodded,

"Just a little dizzy is all…" She said, closing her eyes tightly before opening them and giving me one of her smiles that I swear she reserves only for me. I reached for her hand and drove her home, opening her door and walking her to her front porch. I kissed her softly, stroking her cheek, before hugging her.

"Night Sodapop," She said quietly, kissing my neck sweetly.

"Good night sweetheart." I replied, and I made sure she got in the house before going to my truck and driving home.

* * *

The next morning I started work later than usual so I decided to sleep in. Earlier in the year I moved back to my own room, once Pony stopped having nightmares and wanted to sleep on his own and have privacy. We're all boys and we go through the same _things_ but he was right. It would be awkward taking care of his "morning wood" in front of me every morning; as much as I loved my baby brother, I didn't love him _that much._

There was a soft knock on my door and I heard Pony's voice ask,

"Soda? Can I get a ride to school?" Usually he would get a ride from Two-bit or sometimes Steve, but I knew he didn't get along with Steve often and wouldn't appreciate having to walk.

"Yeah kiddo," I grumbled, rolling out of bed and pulling on a pair of jeans and a sweat shirt. He already had the truck started when I got outside, and the drive only took five minutes. I sat and waited for Rora to pull up in her mustang, but she never did. After two laps of the parking lot once the first bell had already rung I concluded that she wasn't here today.

It was only quarter after eight and I didn't start until nine thirty, so I headed to the drug store to pick up some flowers and a small teddy bear to help Rora feel better. I knocked on her door and her dad answered, letting me in.

"She's off with a fever and dizzy spells," He told me, walking me to her room.

"Is that a side effect of the antibiotics?" I asked and her dad shook his head,

"No, she hasn't started them yet. They came in today at the drug store and I haven't had the chance to go and get them. I didn't want to leave her alone in case she fell or threw up."

"Well, I could keep an eye on her if you wanted to go pick them up now," I offered and he smiled,

"That would be great Sodapop, thanks." He said, before grabbing his coat and leaving. I knocked on Rora's door and there was a quiet voice, that sounded congested and sick,

"Yeah?" I walked in and she smiled before sniffling, her room dark. I placed the flowers on her night table and handed her the teddy, sitting beside her on the bed.

"How are you feeling, angel?"

"Bad," She said, before reaching for a tissue to blow her nose. She sat back slowly, and I could see a small sweat covering her body, making her shine. I felt her forehead and she did feel very warm, so I handed her a cool glass of water from the bathroom, and a cool washcloth to help bring down her temperature. These were things we used to do with Pony when he was sick, and it usually helped. Helping her pat her face, neck, and arms down was no problem, but after every few daps I would have to rewet the washcloth so it would stay cold. When her father came home it was already ten and I would be late for work, but I called in sick and left instructions for everyone and gave the number they could reach me at.

* * *

**Big thanks to GreaserGirlie on her review for the previous chapter and the Anon "Sodapop Fan," If you get this far, thank you for your review as well! Views are appreciated and Reviews are welcome! Read and Review please!**


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